Haircutting device



Sept. 18, 1951 v B, sAYER ETAL HAIR CUTTING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 8, 1949 Sept- 18, 1951 B. SAYER ETAL 2,568,368

' HAIR CUTTING DEVICE Filed Jan. s, 1949 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Sept. 18, 1951 HAIRCUTTING DEVICE Bert Sayer, Sacramento, Califg, and Wenzesiaw Frank S-klenar, Berwyn, Ill.

Application' January 8, 1949, Serial No. 69,884v

A The present invention relates to hair cutting devices, and isA particularly 1concerned with improved ha-ir cutting devices whereby `the user may trim or cut his own hair.

The hair trimming, dressing and cutting devices of the prior art, with'whichwe are familiar, are all subject to the defect that they become clogged with hair and after. a few strokes these devices of the prior art become practically ineffective, because the hair thatr is cut off in the first strokes stays between the teeth of. the. comb in front of the razor blade and clogs the. teeth so. that from then on the hair is deflected. away from the razor blade.

We are aware. that the devices ofthe prior art have been provided with adjustable blades, but none of the devices of the prior art,V with which We are familiar, permit adjustment of their blades to such. an extent or in such manner as to clean out the teeth` to i'reethe teeth of the hair which is cut in the preceding stroke.

One of the objectsy of the invention is the provision of an improved hair cutting, trimming and dressing device which involves a new technique in its handling, and whichI is so constructed that after each stroke or as often as. desired or necessary the operator may move the razor blade in such manner as to clear the teeth of the hair which has already been cut so as to maintainthe device constantly eiective for cutting or trimming. or dressing the hair in a manner for which itis intended.

Another object of the invention. is the provision of an improved hair cutting, trimming and dressing device, having an improved construction adjacent the razor blade which permits the blade itself to be moved to clear the teeth of hair, and in which it is practically impossible for the hair to get into or stay between the blade and the teeth.

Another object of' the invention is the provision of an improved hair cutting, trimming and dressing device which is adapted to be used either in the right or left hand4 as is. convenient and necessary when working on the two diierent sides of the head.

Another object is the provision of an improved haircutting device which eliminates the adjustments that are permitted by the devices of the prior art, but provides a plurality of blade carpable of economical manufacture, and adapted to 1v Claim. (Cl. 30-30) be used for a long period of time without necessity for repair or replacement of any of its parts.

Other objects andY advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description i andv the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of' reference indicate similar parts throughout the. several views.

Referring to the two sheets of drawingsv accompanying the specification,

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a hair cutting, trimming and dressing device embodying the invention, with. the blade carrier and hair ejector mounted for right-hand operation and using the carrier which has the blade adjusted for the rst hair cutting;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the plane of the line 2 2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of thearrows ;V

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective. showing the bottom of one form of blade carrier and,` hair ejector, which supports the blade in the secondi position for trimming the hair;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, of another alternative blade carrier and hair ejector, whichk carries the blade in position for the nal touch in dressing the hair;

Fig. 5 is a View in perspective of the blade carrier and hair ejector of' Figures 1 and 2 which is arranged with the blade position that is best for the rst cutting of the hair, but with the blade removed;

Fig. 6 is. atop plan View of a modification in which the blade. and its carrier and hair ejector is mounted' for sliding movement;

Fig. 7 is. a transverse sectional' View' taken on the plane of the line 'I-l of Figure 6, looking' in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Figure 6 of another lmodification in which the bladev carrier and hair ejector is mounted for pivotal movement and spring pressed back into the hair cutting position.

The present hair cutting device may be adapted for use with any type of razor blade, but it is preferably constructed and particularly adapted to. any standard safety razor .blade IE), which is substantially rectangular in plan but is provided With the angular cut-outs Il in each of its four corners, and with a pair of apertures or enlarged slots IZ-IZ for receiving a pair of pins.

Some of the blades are also provided with the elongated slot I3 and diamond shaped` aperture I4., centrally located for cooperation with complementary parts on the safety razor, but the present device is preferably constructed so, that it makes no use ofthe slot I3 anddiamond shaped opening I4, but utilizes the apertures I2 for receiving round pins carried. by the blade carrier, such as, for example, those shown in Figure 5.

The blade carrier Ili, blade I 0 andthe comb I1 make up the present device, which isv preferlocates its blade with respect to the ends of the teeth of the comb for a certain kind of Work. For example, in the initial cutting of the hair such as should be done with the blade carrier I6, the blade should be located behind the ends of the teeth approximately iig of an inch.

F01 the trimming of the hair, for which carrier I8 is employed, the blade should be located approximately 1% of an inch behind the ends of the teeth, and for the final touch or final dressing of the hair we nd that the blade should be located substantially slf of an inch behind the ends of the teeth.

Thus for the cutting of the long hair the length of the teeth in advance of the edge of the blade is substantially the thickness of the hair assembly from the scalp to its outside when the hair is pressed down against the scalp by the comb.

For the trimming, Which is done where the hair is short, the length of the teeth beyond the edge of the blade is substantially less, being rs 0f an inch, so that the blade can get down to the shorter hair and trim it uniformly.

For the dressing or finishing touch the ends of the teeth -project beyond the edge of the blade only suiciently to guard the edge of the blade and prevent the cutting of the user, the length of the teeth being approximately gli of an inch beyond the edge of the blade.

As all three carriers are intended to be used upon the same comb and as it is desirable that the blade project from the carrier the same amount in each case, the three carriers must be made of different width, and they are preferably provided with different legends, such as cutting for the carrier I6, trimming, for the carrier I8 and finish for the carrier I9.

The blade preferably projects from the carrier at its cutting edge by substantially the amount of the bevel on the blade. The comb II and the carriers I6, I8 and I3 may all be constructed of a suitable plastic resin, and formed by molding or stamping and the plastic which is employed is preferably inert chemically and capable of a hard, smooth finish, particularly at the face which engages the razor blade for a reason further to be described.

For example, the plastic employed may consist of vinyl chloride-acetate resin, vinyl alcohol resins, polyvinyl butyral resins, polyamide resins, cellulose acetate or cellulose acetate butyrate. Each of the carriers preferably consists of an outer molded ilat plate of such suitable material, which is substantially rectangular in shape but provided at each end with a longitudinally projecting hinge flange 2|, 22, having a cylindrical bearing aperture 23, 24.

Each carrier may have an elongated straight edge 25, oppositely located to the blade and adapted to serve as a stop surface for engaging the.

stop rib 26 on the comb. The ends of each pivot flange 2| or 22 are preferably partially circular at 2'I and 28 on a radius which is equal to the distance of the axis of the bearing bores 23, 24, from the stop edge surface 25 so that the pivot flanges will not interfere with the stop rib 25 when the carrier is rotated away from the stop rib.

On the outer side of each carrier the face is preferably formed with a corrugated or knurled surface 29 for engagement with the thumb. The carrier may have its rectangular body provided with straight ends 36, 3|, and with a straight edge 32 on the side from which the blade projects.

The inner face 33 of each carrier is preferably provided with a hard, smooth and perfectly plane surface, and this surface is provided with a shallow recess 34 which is of substantially the same shape as the standard razor blades I0, shown, except that the edge 35 of the blade projects beyond the edge 32 of the carrier by an amount substantially equal to the bevel of the blade, and at the other edge 36 of the blade there is a clearance between this edge and the wall 31 of the recess 34. Thus the recess 34 preferably has shoulders at 38, 39 for engaging the end portions of the blade on both sides.

The recess 34 also is formed with a pair of outstanding integral cylindrical pins 40, 4 I, 'the ends of these pins being perfectly flus-h with the rest of the face 33. The proportions of the parts of the recess 34 and the size of the pins 40, 4I are such that when the blade is pressed into the recess 34 it is frictionally held therein, with the lower face of the blade, substantially flush with the inner face 33 of the carrier.

For purposes of manufacturing tolerance it is preferable to make the recess 34 shallower than the thickness of the blade, because it is preferable to have the blade project from the carrier than to have the blade recessed inside the carrier. The reason for this is that the blade is intended to engage the plane hard, smooth finished surface 42, one of which is located on the comb on each side of the rib 26 in such manner that hair cannot get between the blade and the teeth.

he comb I| may in some cases be of the ordinary comb shape, and provided with a plurality of mounting places for the different carriers, but we prefer to provide the comb with a suitably shaped handle 43 for grasping with the palm and four fingers of the hand, leaving the thumb free to engage the knurled surface 29 on the carrier.

The handle 43 supports an integral, nat enlargement 44, which carries the oppositely directed sets of teeth 45, 46 and which also carries the hard, smooth nished plane surfaces 42, upon which the carriers slide. The same sides of the teeth 45 and 46 are given this smooth, hard plane finish as the surfaces 42, with which this side of the teeth is flush.

The comb is preferably provided with a pair of integral outwardly projecting journal pins 41, 48, located on the opposite sides of the stop rib 26 in position to receive the bearing aperture 23 or bearing aperture 24.

On its opposite side the lower face 49 of the comb may be smooth and substantially plane, but is tapered at the base of the teeth as indicated at 56, 5|, and the teeth also preferably taper on that side as indicated at 52, 53, t0- ward their ends, the ends being indicated at 54.

The method of use of the hair cutter is as follows:

A razor blade I3 may be pressed into the recess 34, where it is held frictionally with the exposed surface of the blade I IJ, flush with the face 33 of the carrier -or the blade may project slightly from the carrier. l

- The carrier may -then be mounted upon Tthe pin 48 for right-hand work, the handle 43 may be grasped in the hand and the thumb is placed upon the carrier at the corrugated surface '29. Assuming'that fthe user is cutting the long hair rst, the cutting carrier I6 should be employed, this being the narrowest carrier which locates the cutting edge of the blade about 1% of an inch behind the ends of the teeth.

The body of the comb is then held against the side of the head, the comb being't-ilted as required to bring the cutting edge of the blade into engagement with the hair to be cut; and the hair is -cu't lpreferably with va plurality of short strokes, attention being given tothe effeet produced after each stroke. After each stroke or after several strokes the thumb is used on the corrugated surface 29 to pivot the carrier i6 ccunterclockwise, in Figure '1.

As the carrier pivots its blade slides on the plane surface 42, which extends to the ends of the teeth, and the blade engages the teeth tightly and pushes the hair before its cutting edge out of the teeth. The pivotal motion is carried far enough `to move the edge of the blade beyond all of the teeth, thus freeing the teeth ofcut hair.

This is one of the most important features of the invention, and itv ispreferable to free the comb of hair after each Acutting stroke. vThis maintains the comb and the blade in proper operating condition, free of hair, as distinguished from all of the devices of the prior art with which we are familiar.

When the comb is tov be used in the left hand as, for example, on the left side ofv the head, the carrier I6 is moved from the pin 43Y to the other side of the rib 26, `Where the aperture 23' is engaged about the pin' 41. The carrier and ejector is then in positionV to be engaged by the thumb of the` left hand', when the handle 43 is grasped in that hand.

After the long hair has been `cut as desired, the intermediate trimming carrier is placed upon the comb and used in the samev Way' upon the short hair which is located around the borders ci the hair growth, such as around the neck. This carrier I8 is slightly Wider than the carrier i6 so that the blade is located ile of an inch behind the ends of the teeth, and the blade may come closer to the more sparsely located edge hair which is to be trimmed.

This carrier |13 can, of course, also be located on the comb for right-hand or left-hand operation. When the trimming operation has been finished, the finish carrier is placed upon the comb andy this is the widest carrier I9, which brings the edge of its blade within sie of an inch from the ends of the teeth. With the blade in this position the user is. enabled to use the razor blade to provide a. finished hair-cut withoutp'ossibility of any steps; and the operation is subv 6 cleaning device .forcleaning the cut lhair out 'of the teeth.

Referring to Figure 8, this is a modification in which the carrier and ejector is spring biased into the hair cutting position. All of the parts of the comb may be substantially the same shape as previously described, except that the plane sur-face 42 upon which the blade slides are preferably extending toward the right sufficiently to provide a plane face at 55 for Areception of a leaf Aspring'l.

The plane face 55 has a laterally projecting centrally located headed pin '51, the head 58 of which retains the spring 56 under it. The spring 56 has a pair of 'legs 59 and 68 separated by .a hairpin bend 6|, which passes around the headed pin'51. The legs 59 and 69 are preferably confined between another pair of integral cylindrical pins 62 and 6-3, at 'which point the legs 59 and 65 are 'bent outwardly as indicated at 64.

The outwardly spread leg portions 65 and 66 are initially tensioned toward the pins 48 and 41 so that these leg portions have to be bent back as indicated at 65, when the carrier 61 is located n on the pin 48 or 4l. The carriers, of which there are again three, are exemplified by carrier 61 which is 'for cuttingth'e long hair. The inner face of this carrier is substantially the same as shown in Figure 4, but the pivot flanges 68 and 69 are formed with a spring-engaging surface 19, 1l, this surface extending transversely tothe length of the carrier.

Thus each pivot flange 68, 69 has a lateral arm or extension 12, 13 like a bell crank for engagement with one end or the other 65, 66 'of the spring, The spring vcoi'lstantly urges the carrier 61 back` against the stop rib 26".v In this embodiment the outer v'surface of the carrierl 6T has been provided with a transverse rib 14 for engagement with the thumb, and the thumb may be engaged with the upper surface 15 of this rib to give more positive engagement with the thumb and the carrier than is possible with the corrugated surface 26.

A more positive engaging surface for the thumb is desirable because the thumb now acts against the biasing spring 56. In this embodiment of the invention the hair cutting, trimming and dressing device works exactly the same as pre'- viously described, except that after each cleaning or' ejecting action of the carrier the spring moves the carrier back to its hair cutting position.

Referring to Figs. 6 and 1', this is a modification which is similar to that of Figure 1, except that the carriers are mounted for sliding motion instead of being mounted pivctally. All of the details of construction in this modification may bel substantially the same as described with respect to Figure 1, except that the plane sliding surfaces 42 are bounded ateach end by the guide flanges'16`, 11, which extend transversely to the stop rib 26 and are parallel toeach other'.

In this embodiment the carrier may be reetangular in shape, and its end boundaries are indicated at 19, 19, engaging the guide flanges 16, 11. The guide flanges 16, 11 each preferably have an overhanging lip 80, 8|, which overhangs the outside of the carrier 82 at each end, and the carrier is adapted to slide in the inwardly open grooves 84 that are thus formed.

In order to reduce the thickness of the assembly and to keep the overhanging flanges 80, 8| flush with the outside of rib 26, the carrier 82 may be reduced in thickness at its end edges,

having a thinner portion 83 at each end for sliding in the groove 84.

The carrier 82 may agairrhave a corrugated or knurled surface 29 exactly as previously described, and this surface is engaged by the thumb, which is preferably used to draw the carrier and blade out beyond the ends of the teeth after each cutting motion to clear the teeth of cut hair. In this embodiment three carriers are again provided, and any carrier may be mounted on either side of the comb I1 for right-hand or left-hand operation.

It will thus be observed that we have invented a plurality of forms of improved hair cutting, trimming and dressing devices in which the parts are so constructed that they perform the three necessary steps -in making a perfect hair-cut without requiring the user to make any adjustments. Thus the user is always assured of having the blade in the right position for the kind of work which he is doing. Oneof the most important features of the invention lies in the fact that the blade carriers may be moved out beyond the ends of the teeth after each stroke for` cleaning the teeth of cut hair, The devices of the prior art have not been successful because they have become clogged with hair after the first few strokes. The adjustments for the blades of the prior art have not permitted the' movement of the Ablade far enough beyond the ends of the teeth to clean the teeth.

Furthermore, the prior art devices often permit the hair to get between the blade and the teeth so that they can only be cleaned by taking those devices apart.

The present device involves a, new technique in the self-cutting of hair in that after each cutting stroke the thumb should perform a tooth-cleaning stroke. This technique may easily be mastered by anyone and thus the teeth are maintained in a clean condition, and the blade is always in the best hair cutting condition.

As the present devices may be molded or stamped out of initially plastic resin or the parts may be made of metal, and as there are but few parts for each comb and carrier assembly, the device may be manufactured at a very low cost and may be sold within a price range that makes it available to a large number of the purchasing public.

While we have illustrated preferred embodiments of our invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and we do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of all changes Within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

In a hair cutting device, a relatively-flat, substantially rectangular plastic member provided with a longitudinally extending handle, said member having a multiplicity of teeth extending laterally'from its rectangular portion, forming a comb, and the said rectangular member and teeth being provided with an upper plane, hard, smooth surface provided oppositely to the ends of the teeth with a, longitudinally extending stop member having a shoulder projecting upwardly from said hard surface, said device being provided with a pivot pin located at a point between the end of the handle and said rectangular member, and a carrier for a safety razor blade, comprising a molded member having a substantially rectangular body provided with a pivot flange toward the handle end, having an aperture for receiving said pin, said rectangular body being formed on its upper surface with a longitudinally extending, upwardly projecting rib for engagement with the thumb of the user when the hand of the user is grasping the handle, the said rectangular body being pivotally mounted on said pin, and having its edge opposite to the ends of the teeth engaging said stop member, the said body being provided with a lower plane surface for engaging the plane surface of the teeth, and said lower plane surface being formed with a shallow recess, which is complementary in shape to a safety razor blade, and which is of suicient depth so that the blade will be flush with the said lower plane surface when the blade is located in said recess, the said recess having one open side toward the ends of the teeth, and being so located that the blade projects from said rectangular body above the plane surfaces of the teeth bya predetermined amount suitable for cutting hair on the head of a person, the ends of the teeth which project beyond said blade providing a pretermined clearance between the edge of the razor blade and the skin of the person, the said carrier being pivotally movable with its razor blade on said comb a suicient range of movement, so that when it is engaging the said stop surface it is in the hair cutting pol sition, but it may be pivoted away from said stop surface, carrying with it all loose hair resting on the teeth, until the blade edge extends beyond the ends of the teeth, which is the tooth cleaning position, so that the thumb of the user may be used after cutting strokes to clean the comb and blade of loose hair.

BERT SAYER. WENZESLAW FRANK SKLENAR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,175,023 Szabo Mar. 14, 1916 1,190,182 McDonough July 4, 1916 1,789,234 Keenan Jan. 13, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 534,754 France Jan. 12, 1922 

